MARC Academy Cooks Up Healthy HabitsPosted November 20, 2012 MARC Academy and Family Center in South Bronx, New York, a community center serving children ages 5-12 years old, is implementing a creative We Can! program by educating parents on the importance of positive food choices and demanding the very best from their food suppliers.

We Can! Champion: Ted Everett from Washington CountyPosted November 20, 2012 As the Executive Director of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, Ted Everett took the lead in helping his community get healthy using his gregarious personality and passionate enthusiasm for the We Can! program as tools to recruit and involve local partners in the effort.

We Can! Parent Program Training "TOPS" ExpectationsPosted November 20, 2012 When We Can! national partner Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) contacted the We Can! team about providing a Parent Program training for their field staff, the team saw it as a great opportunity to share the program's messages and resources with a whole new grassroots force.

We Can! in the NewsPosted September 11, 2012We Can! partner BAPS Charities of Lansdale�a nonprofit international charity organization committed to sincerely serving the world by caring for individuals, families, and communities�recently hosted its annual Children's Health and Safety Day in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. We Can! was the theme for this year's event, which offered seminars, workshops, and activities for parents and children from local health officials and administrators, all with the focus on how to improve nutrition choices, enhance physical activity, and reduce screen time.

Keeping the Best Interest of Children at Heart in Brunswick, GeorgiaPosted July 25, 2012 An old adage claims that "slow and steady wins the race," but there's nothing slow about Children in Action Sports Club (C.I.A.)! Since joining We Can! as a City/County site in August 2009, C.I.A, a faith-based sports ministry program, and Brunswick, Georgia, demonstrate the importance of sustainable, consistent, and strong programming for families in the community.

We Can! Fun Is Contagious in Idaho CommunityPosted July 25, 2012 From grandparents to kids, entire families in Council, Idaho, are getting active and eating healthy with We Can!, as the Adams County Health Center recently kicked-off its summer program. What started out as a relatively small group of children quickly expanded to a robust group including students, their parents and grandparents.

New Partnership PresentationPosted July 25, 2012 A new, updated version of the Partnership Presentation, Community Partnerships: Helping Children Maintain a Healthy Weight, is now available. View or download the presentation on our website and use it to approach partners to support your local We Can! efforts.

Washington County Launches Its We Can! ProgramPosted July 3, 2012 One of We Can! 's newest intensive community sites, Washington County, located in Chipley, Florida, launched its We Can! program on Thursday, June 21 to a packed room of community members and local government officials. Washington County plans to conduct outreach to parents and students at local schools and will hold a large community event this August to coincide with the back to school fair taking place in town. Learn more about Washington County's We Can! program.

Good Changes are Happening Everywhere in the Motor City!Posted April 13, 2012 Last fall, the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, a We Can! Intensive community site, hosted a regional training at the Bethany Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. Over the course of two days, 80 enthusiastic community leaders from faith-based organizations, nonprofit community groups, and other organizations, joined program leaders from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (developers of We Can!) and partners from SPARK� and CATCH� Kids Club (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) to learn more about the program.

We Can! Goes to School in Somerset CountyPosted April 13, 2012 The Move More Kids Program in Somerset County, Maine, a City/County site, is using We Can! to create county-wide change! With endorsements from the county commissioners, the entire county is supporting healthy living.

Illinois Health Department Offers Parents and Children the Best of We Can!Posted April 13, 2012 According to an article in the Trib Local, there's something for everybody at the Lake County Health Department (LCHD) and Community Health Center (CHC) in Waukegan. An active We Can! General Site since December 2010, LCHD /CHC host the We Can! Parent Program and CATCH� Kids Club (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) four times per year.

ODS Inspires a Healthier Oregon with We Can!Posted April 13, 2012We Can! national partner ODS Health (ODS) provides medical and dental health coverage to a variety of statewide organizations based in Oregon. As a company that is interested in the well-being of its members and their families, ODS partnered with We Can! to teach employees and community members about health and wellness as it relates to maintaining a healthy weight.

We Can! Is Shaking Things Up In South CarolinaPosted February 24, 2012 In Winnsboro, South Carolina, a town of roughly 3,500 people in a rural region of the state, parents and children are stirring things up and getting healthy with We Can!. In collaboration with the Fairfield Memorial Hospital and the John A. Martin Primary Health Care Center, The Healthy Kids Clinic, a long-time dedicated We Can! General site, is committed to helping community members address its high prevalence of obesity.

We Can! Combines Family and Fun in Knoxville!Posted February 24, 2012 Since joining We Can! in 2009 as a City/County site, the Knoxville Area Coalition for Childhood Obesity has partnered with 81 individuals dedicated to making Knoxville, Tennessee, one of the fittest cities for children.

Collaborative Learning: Parents and Kids Work Together to Stay Healthy!Posted February 24, 2012 Using the elements of the We Can! program to teach families about healthy eating, physical activity, and reducing screen time, the Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic is dedicated to making families in Herndon, Virginia healthier by offering parents and children the opportunity to participate in a four-session, healthy lifestyle program.

We Can! Inspires 'Nifty Nights' in Springfield-Greene County, Missouri SchoolsPosted February 24, 2012 Lessons and activities from the We Can! Parent Program inspire a unique offering at each school in Springfield-Greene County, Missouri�a monthly "Nifty Night," which encourages parents and students to engage in physical activity, healthy eating, and reduce the amount of time spent in front of a screen.

USDA Sets Guidelines for Healthier School MealsPosted February 3, 2012 School meals are headed for a healthy change. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has required meal plans to reduce sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat and serve fruits and vegetables every day. Students will also be served child-appropriate portion sizes along with fat-free and low-fat milk only.

2011

A Phoenix, Arizona Community Site Empowers Child Care ProvidersPosted November 21, 2011 In Phoenix, Arizona, an entire school district is teaching child care providers why it's important to make healthy nutrition choices for children, how they can provide fun ways for children to be more physically active, and how parents can reinforce healthy habits at home.

Arizona School District Helps Parents Fall Back into the School Routine with We Can! ProgrammingPosted November 21, 2011 In Arizona, back to school wasn't just for students as a school district is holding unique events to educate parents. Recently, the Alhambra School Board approved the use of the We Can! Parent Program at all 15 elementary schools within the school district. Each school hosted an orientation to promote and introduce the We Can! Parent Program to community members.

South Dakota Department of Education Shows a Little Help Can Go a Long Way for We Can!Posted November 21, 2011 The South Dakota Department of Education proves there is strength in numbers. In a time of budget cuts and economic challenges, the South Dakota Department of Education offered a helping hand to schools and afterschool programs across the state. With funding from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Team Nutrition grant, the Department of Education hosted and funded a statewide We Can! training.

Storms Didn't Dampen the High Spirits�or Attendance�at Atlanta Health ExpoPosted May 13, 2011 In Georgia, the Atlanta-based Center Helping Obesity In Children End Successfully, Inc. (C.H.O.I.C.E.S.)�a We Can! community site that convinced the city of Atlanta to join our city program�brought news of We Can! tips, tools, strategies, and curricula to more than 600 attendees at the Atlanta Health Expo. Learn which tip sheet was the most popular, and the most challenging!

Breaking Through to Children in Minneapolis with Break Dancing� and More!Posted May 13, 2011 In Minnesota, the musician formerly known as Prince would likely give We Can! community site and 2011 Assistance Program award recipient Neighborhood HealthSource a thumbs up for how it's using dancing to inspire kids to move more and spend less time in front of the screen in his hometown of Minneapolis.

One of America's Top Places to Live Steps into Healthier Habits with Assistance from We Can!Posted May 13, 2011 In Ohio, a suburb of Columbus that was ranked one of the nation's best places to live not long ago is home to a We Can! community site that received a We Can! 2011 Assistance Program Award. Learn how Westerville's Step By Step Pediatrics site leaders are using that award to kick it up a notch, and teach families the first steps to being more active, as well as ways to eat right and spend less time in front of the screen.

Thousands of U.S. Mayors Learn about We Can! at Annual MeetingPosted May 13, 2011 In Washington, DC, thousands of mayors gathering at the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting had a chance to hear more about the We Can! City program, and how We Can! strategies, tools, and curricula are helping their colleagues across the country make communities healthier.

Looking to Engage Parents? Look to the Kids, First! Posted May 13, 2011 Nationwide, thanks to a We Can! webinar, a trainer with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Bodyworks Program (a We Can! federal partner) and two other experts spoke about how to engage and retain parents and caregivers. Don't miss reading about the practical incentives and other tips that Bodyworks is using to keep parents interested and involved.

2010

New We Can! City Works With Partners to Change Local Food PolicyPosted October 5� 2010 In 2007, 100 public health professionals, nutritionists, teachers, and pediatricians convened at the Southeast Georgia Childhood Obesity Taskforce with one goal in mind: to plan ways the community could help children and adults adopt healthy eating and physical activity habits.

The We Can! Hollywood PremierePosted October 5� 2010 It was an event worthy of a red carpet. This spring, five hundred youth, parents, and caregivers attended We Can!'s family�friendly premiere in Hollywood�Hollywood, Florida, that is.

The Empire State Scales New Heights to Serve Up We Can! FunPosted October 5� 2010 Josy Delaney travels to events throughout her community with the typical materials: a folder of We Can! handouts, a We Can! display board, and an enthusiastic attitude. However, her most essential, and popular, event item is not so common.

Charles County Trio Proves that Good Things Do Come in ThreesPosted October 5� 2010 The Charles County Department of Health, Charles County Parks and Recreation, and Civista Medical Center recently teamed up to help families in their community live healthy and have fun while doing it! The partner trio began using We Can! in July of 2009 when they received a Maryland Department of Health grant.

We Can! Partner Extends Summer Heat Wave Into FallPosted October 5� 2010 The weather may be getting cooler, but We Can! activities are still hot as can be in Pittsburgh, where We Can! corporate partner UPMC Health Plan is keeping the flame burning with a variety of activities.

FWS Keeps We Can! Activities Running Year-Round Posted October 5� 2010 Even in the winter months, the opportunities for outdoor activities are plentiful. And if you're looking for someone who embodies the spirit of the outdoors�and places a strong emphasis on the importance of outdoor activity for both physical and emotional health�look no further than We Can! partner U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Fall Into Healthier Habits This Season... and Let We Can! HelpPosted October 5� 2010 Yes, it's that time of year again: the days are getting shorter, the air is getting crisper, and children are back to the books. But, just because those long summer days are fading does not mean your health has to leave with the heat and humidity!

In Nevada, We Can!'s Go, Slow, Whoa chart has a whole new sound�as a song! It even has a music video to match. And the song/video is making its way up the charts among Las Vegas preschoolers and their parents.

The We Can! Community of Practice (COP) Portal provides a forum for community sites, partners, and other health professionals to exchange knowledge with one another about leveraging community outreach, partnership development, and media activities to enhance We Can! programming.

Increasing physical activity�it's one of We Can!'s three critical behaviors for helping keep the whole family at a healthy weight. It's also the primary focus of new partner SPARK�a research�based, public health organization dedicated to creating, implementing, and evaluating programs that promote lifelong wellness.

What's the key to reaching low-income communities with messages about how to stay at a healthy weight? The secret recipe�according to a We Can! site in Nogales, Arizona�is using We Can! messages and materials to bolster existing nutrition and physical activity programming, and reach more participants.

Atlanta, GA, added some fuel to the We Can! fire this spring by joining 20 other municipalities across the country that have committed to the We Can! City/County program. With two We Can! Cities and Counties in the Atlanta metropolitan area�and eight total in Georgia�it only made sense that the Peach state's most populous city should join the movement to help keep its children at a healthy weight.

If you watched famed English chef Jamie Oliver's recent TV special about nutrition in West Virginia, you know that some families struggle to eat nutritious meals. And while Jamie Oliver is focusing on families in Huntington, WV, Robin Truax is helping to bring nutrition messages to families in another WV city.

Put down the peanuts and cracker jacks! Say whoa to that hot dog and go slow on the ballpark snacks! We Can!'s spring training is in full swing! From Florida to Maine to Illinois, community sites and partners across the country are helping members of their communities to live healthier lives by hosting We Can! regional trainings.

Did you happen to open up your community newspaper or log in online and read a story about how pinching pennies with fast food could cost your family more, health�wise, in the long run? Or, did you catch a story on how you could revitalize your New Year's resolution to stay at a healthy weight, months later?

SUBWAY� restaurants is a We Can! partner on the national level. The franchise has helped spread our key messaging through a number of coast�to�coast activities. Now, the owner of five northwest Georgia SUBWAY� restaurants are providing healthy snacks for the rest of the year, for children participating in youth�oriented We Can! programs through the North Georgia Health Care Center (NGHCC).

Now, more than ever, the importance of children's health and the seriousness of childhood overweight and obesity are being echoed from coast to coast. To ensure that the program is meeting the need of community sites and partners, We Can! recently hosted two strategy workshops, where partners, community sites, and supporters of the program discussed past, present, and future We Can! activities.

Olympic soccer star Tab Ramos has skills that excel both on and off the pitch (a.k.a. the soccer field). His ability to pitch children and their parents�and the media�helped We Can! reach 4.5 million Americans on the importance of on the importance of physical activity� reducing screen time and proper nutrition.

Since November� students at the Center for Multicultural Human Services (CMHS) in Falls Church� Virginia� have been using all of their senses to learn about fruits� vegetables� and eating healthy thanks to We Can! based programming coordinated by the Boat People SOS Inc. (BPSOS).

In a can�t�miss�play for the new year� two Pittsburgh�based We Can! supporters�UPMC Health Plan and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh�have teamed up to spread the word about We Can! to underserved populations in the home of the Steelers.

If you�ve ever attended a We Can! training� you know it�s much more than just PowerPoint slides and printed handouts. And thanks to a partnership between We Can! and SUBWAY� restaurants� there are more trainings than ever before.

Since joining in the fall of 2009� the City of Brunswick� Georgia� has been working hard to encourage healthy living in the community. In fact� the City's We Can! program is even enlisting the help of local law enforcement to spread We Can! messages.

We Can! has a new partner on board�one that is helping youth engage in physical activity and healthy lifestyles�FlagHouse Inc. As part of the partnership� FlagHouse will promote We Can! through stories in the CATCH� (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) catalog; the monthly CATCH eNewsletter; and the program�s annual report.

2009

Teamwork. It's what Joseph Grant, the Grand Prize Winner of Scholastic's "Make it Happen!" essay contest, says keeps him healthy. "Staying Healthy Together" is the title of the first grader's winning essay.

It was a day of celebration at Unity Healthcare's Upper Cardozo Health Center on June 29, 2009, when First Lady Michelle Obama made a short trip from Pennsylvania Avenue to the diverse, primarily Latino, Washington D.C. neighborhood of Columbia Heights where the center runs a number of health programs, including We Can!.

Tens of thousands of Knoxville, Tennessee, residents who turned on their local CBS television affiliate (WVLT) in mid-September had a chance to hear about how some Knox County families are trying to maintain a healthy weight through We Can!

We Can! Healthy Berrien is not only promoting movement in Berrien County, MI, they are creating a movement. Lakeland Regional Health Center, a We Can! County since January 2008, is using local media to spread the We Can! word throughout the state.

Fresh from distributing nearly 150 pounds of organic carrots to kids in the Rockies, winning four Heartland Emmy awards, and earning a Parents Choice Award from the nation's oldest nonprofit consumer guide to children's media, Charley the BIG GREEN RABBIT is jumping from the TV screen into the We Can! movement.

ODS Health Plan, Inc., (ODS)�provider of medical and dental insurance to more than one million Oregoneans�has signed on to the We Can! movement! As part of its own efforts to educate members about the benefits of healthy weight management, ODS will be reaching out to their members with We Can! resources. They will be providing access to We Can! materials; distributing fliers, tips, handbooks, and posters; and beginning collaborations with We Can! community sites throughout Oregon.

Kicks were had all around at a Youth and Wellness Fair for Families, hosted by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh on September 13. From karate lessons, to African drumming, to a more relaxing Zen moment through yoga, there were options galore for some 50 to 100 Pittsburgh-area families who attended the first-time event. The center, a We Can! site since June 2008, used the event to highlight fitness as fun while simultaneously promoting the Center's new We Can! Energize Our Families program.

You may recall that recently we told you that We Can! coordinator Karen Donato, S.M., was invited to participate as a panelist in U.S. Senator Max Baucus's (D-MT) "Make Health Happen: Promoting Wellness and Prevention in Rural Communities" summit in Bozeman, at Montana State University.

We Can! has more than just the holidays to prepare for starting in December 2009. We have regional trainings planned for eight locations around the country; all are open to anyone interested in attending.

What Do New Orleans and the Bronx Have in Common? New Funds to Launch a We Can!-based Childhood Obesity Project for Young Children. Can the core messages of We Can!�to eat nutritiously, be more physically active, and spend less time in front of the TV or computer screen�be communicated effectively to young children?

In order to teach someone to do something well, it's important to have first-hand knowledge of the topic. So it comes as no surprise that one of our most eager, active, and long-standing partners�UPMC Health Plan�is once again stepping up to the plate, looking to train We Can! leaders this fall.

Cherokee Nation is determined to become a Healthy Nation, and they're using We Can! to help. After issuing a proclamation announcing the Nation's partnership with We Can! back in October 2008, Cherokee Nation included a We Can! training in their annual conference this past April.

A former Olympic star will be spreading We Can! messages about healthy lifestyle choices to our community sites and their Latino and Spanish-speaking participants. And we can thank our partner, SUBWAY� Restaurants, for it. Find out why.

It�s a two-for-one punch in Kentucky, where We Can! site leaders aren't just looking forward to two chances to beef up their program leadership skills�they can't wait to connect with other We Can! KY supporters to learn about what works in their corner of the Bluegrass State.

We have Scholastic magazine to thank for bringing We Can! to the attention of an enthusiastic mother of two with a third on the way. She tracked us down, incorporated our We Can! messaging and materials into a kids' fitness event she co-hosted in June, and then signed up her firm as a general community site in order to further spread the We Can! word.

In Montana, Senator Max Baucus has invited We Can! to present at his upcoming health care summit, to take place in August. The panel will address how schools can be wellness leaders in communities�the perfect discussion topic for We Can!

In Savannah, site leaders celebrated We Can! Day in a major way in the minor leagues, kicking off their status as the newest We Can! City with a Community Field Day of kid-centered activities at the Savannah Sand Gnats game.

In a recent speech at the American Medical Association, President Obama voiced his support for improving the health of children through better nutrition, increased physical activity and reduced screen time. The We Can! program shares these goals with the President, as it supports families and communities coming together to promote healthy weight in children through healthy lifestyles.

Fried chicken is getting a more critical look in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where students are taking advantage of a unique adaptation of the "Go, Slow, and Whoa" concept, used by the We Can! program. The concept teaches youth and parents about better nutrition by providing examples of what types of foods fall into the "Go" (eat often), "Slow" (eat occasionally), and "Whoa" (eat rarely) food categories at their favorite restaurants.

West Virginia�s tourism motto is "wild and wonderful"�and that�s the reception We Can! is getting there, too. In the last e-newsletter, we told you how the Office of Healthy Schools with the West Virginia Department of Education was offering $20,000 to be distributed in grants of up to a thousand dollars each for schools that wished to conduct the We Can!Energize Our Families: Curriculum for Parents and Caregivers.

With 49 sites registered for We Can!, Georgia ranks in the top ten We Can! states when it comes to number of registered sites. As you�ll see from the following stories, it�s also been a frontrunner for new developments in the first three months of this year.

Neither low temperatures, nor impending inaugural festivities just �down the block,� kept some 3,500 people from turning out for a special Martin Luther King Celebration in Wilmington, DE, on January 19.

Over a year ago, on January 15, 2008, Nancy Rush, R.D., We Can! community site leader and Community Health Promotion Manager for Idaho�s Central District Health Department, kicked off her first set of classes based on We Can!

You can�t move a mountain. But if you�re We Can!, you can sure move the Mountain State� figuratively, at least. Having heard of We Can!�s presence nationwide, officials at the West Virginia Department of Education�s Office of Healthy Schools did some investigating. They decided our program provided the best fit to help its young Mountaineers climb the hill to better health.

Knoxville, located in Knox County in East Tennessee at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is a community committed to finding ways to improve the health and well being of its residents. On January 8, 2009, Knox County furthered this commitment by becoming a We Can! County.

Vietnamese immigrant and mother of two Tran Nguyen is tickled pink over a portion-measurement trick�using her fist to measure appropriate portion size. She learned it while taking four We Can! classes in Fairfax, Virginia.

The new year offers a new opportunity for the Health Solutions Team�a collaboration of West Florida groups�to find ways to lower the growing percentage of overweight children in Escambia County, FL, especially inner-city Pensacola.

Most folks wait for warmer weather to kick off their New Year's resolutions, but not We Can! organizers in Berrien County, Michigan. Biting temperatures didn't keep them from organizing a children's walk to visit Santa Claus at the North Pole. That's because they took the walk indoors, to a mall Santa.

You may know Kentucky for its bluegrass, bourbon, and thoroughbred racing. What you might not know is that the state has the world�s longest cave system, the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the lower 48 states, and a We Can! community site that takes advantage of these natural resources.

2008

We Can! national partner UPMC Health Plan is sharing news of its success with We Can! programming through an educational video on its website, which averages 27,069 hits per week. But the Health Plan is taking it one step further by taking that video out into the field, presenting it to potential partners. The video includes vignettes about the program�s success in Armstrong County, details on Pittsburgh becoming a We Can! City, and more.

Delaware Physicians Care, Inc. (DPCI) is kicking off its 2009 �We Can! Make Healthier Choices� anti-obesity awareness campaign during a special celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, on January 19, 2009. DCPI is a Gold Sponsor of the MLK Celebration in Wilmington, DE, and will be hosting its own �Wellness Zone� on site during the festivities. The �Zone� will provide a variety of interactive health, nutritional and educational activities for families attending the event.

This fall, NCNW leaders gathered at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development to learn how to both present and train others on two health-education programs adapted from the We Can! curricula.

The South Dakota Discovery Center�a brand new We Can! site in Pierre, South Dakota�represented the We Can! program at a local round table conducted by Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven Galson on October 16.

The Nutrition Services Division of San Francisco's Chinatown Public Health Center has been running We Can! programming for a little over a year now, and tailoring it to better speak to its primary audience of Chinese Americans.

Ensuring that We Can! Parent Program facilitators are well trained is why the Boston Public Health Commission hosted a free "Train the Trainer" session on September 15. They used downloadable materials from the We Can!Energize Our Families: Parent Program Leader's Guide together with the Parent Handbook.

In September, We Can! supporters in Indiana didn't need to be encouraged to spread the We Can! message to a captive, festival audience. They dove right in. Parkview Hospital seized the opportunity offered by the "Fort-4 Fitness Health Festival" on September 26�27 in Fort Wayne.

We Can! continues to add to its current list of more than 40 national and corporate partners. Notable additions include: U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Interior Fish & Wildlife Service & National Park Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Adolescent and School Health. Existing partners also had a busy summer reaching into their communities with our message.

Unity Health Care�s Cardoza Health Center is reaching out to the people it serves�in Spanish. Their effort is having a ripple effect through word of mouth. With statistics showing that the Hispanic community has seen an increase in the number of overweight children, the need for We Can! programs and materials in Spanish has never been greater.

The Volunteer State is living up to its name. Tennesseans from small towns to big cities, and from the grassroots to the grass "tops," expanded the scope of We Can! programming in their communities, and became better educated about healthy eating and physical activity.

The partnership with the U.S. Deparment of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service is founded upon a mutual interest in promoting healthy activities for youth and families. This partnership will provide We Can! Community Sites with a variety of new resources, including outdoor events and opportunities for fun, healthy activities on FWS lands and NPS lands.

Turnoff Week 2008 (April 21-27) was very important to both We Can! and the Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H. The nationwide campaign raises public awareness about the effects of too much screen time and provides a great opportunity for children and families to spend less time in front of the TV and video games and adopt a healthier way of life.

In November 2007, We Can! held a media event at the Boston Children�s Museum, with simultaneous events held in eight other cities. Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson was in attendance to discuss We Can!�s inclusion in the HHS Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative.

In Birmingham, Alabama, the Bethel Community Learning Center hosted a 5K Fun Run and Walk, for all Birmingham citizens to get moving and learn about healthy lifestyles.

H.J. Heinz Company Posted January 29, 2008

The H.J. Heinz Company joined as a corporate partner at the We Can! November press event in Pittsburgh. They distributed magnets and We Can! Parent Handbooks at their October Employee Health Fair, will post We Can! resources on their company intranet, and plan to publish articles about We Can! in their monthly e-newsletter or on their company intranet at least once a year.

Delaware Physicians Care, Inc.Posted January 29, 2008

Delaware Physicians Care, Inc. (DPCI) posted We Can! resources and content, as well as a hyperlink to the We Can! website in the Delaware Physicians Care Prevention and Wellness Section of their corporate website and a press release outlining the program. They also implemented a We Can! and CATCH! Kids Club initiative to Delaware 's citizens and to its after-school programs. We Can! is highlighted in the quarterly �Partnerships in Health� newsletter, which reaches 900 community stakeholders.

National Black Nurses AssociationPosted January 29, 2008

The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) is a non-profit organization representing about 150,000 nurses from the United States, Eastern Caribbean, and Africa, with 76 chartered chapters nationwide. The mission of NBNA is to improve the quality of life of all African Americans. In October 2007, NBNA printed an article announcing its partnership with We Can! in its newsletter, which is distributed quarterly to its 3,000 members.

Anita Courtney�s work in Kentucky is an example of statewide We Can! outreach. Ms. Courtney facilitates the We Can! Parent Program and uses a train-the-trainer model to get other We Can! leaders up to speed. Ms. Courtney's experience can help you make a difference through We Can!

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Posted October 2, 2007

We Can! is excited to announce the newest partner to join the We Can! movement to address childhood overweight�Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Host will feature an article on the We Can! program in its weekly e-newsletter, as well as include We Can! resources on their company intranet that reaches 200+ employees. As part of their initial activities, the company also plans to offer copies of the Parent Handbook to their employees and promote the materials to a Weight Watchers group they have formed within the company. We Can! is excited to have Host on board!

Highmark Foundation Posted October 2, 2007

We Can! materials are now available on Highmark Healthy High 5 Health eTools for Schools, an initiative of the Highmark Foundation. Health eTools, a web-based portal, provides health resources to Pennsylvania schools. Through the Health eTools portal, Highmark Foundation provides a one-stop shop for school administrators and personnel to choose from a variety of materials that address nutrition and physical activity based on the Coordinated School Health Plan promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We Can! content and materials, including information about the We Can! Energize Our Families: Curriculum for Parents and Caregivers, all three youth curricula, and a host of additional NIH materials are available through the portal to over 80 school districts enrolled as Health eTools users. The enrollment represents an estimated 200,000 students. Highmark Healthy High 5 is a five-year, $100 million initiative of Highmark Foundation to promote lifelong, healthy behaviors in children and adolescents.

The Association of Children�s MuseumsPosted October 2, 2007

In September 2007, the Association of Children�s Museums launched Good to Grow!, a multi-faceted initiative to address the pressing issue of childhood overweight and obesity. Good to Grow! is designed to: convene and sustain the conversation about the health of children and families; activate children and families through museum exhibits and programs; and improve the lives of children by increasing the healthy options available. The Good to Grow! program uses the valuable science based information that We Can! provides , and the website links to many We Can! resources.

The Association of Junior Leagues InternationalPosted October 2, 2007

We Can! and The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), the women�s association dedicated to improving communities through the action of trained volunteers, have joined together to raise awareness of the issue of childhood overweight. AJLI began its childhood obesity and nutrition education initiative, Junior Leagues� Kids in the Kitchen, in 2006. Through programs conducted by over 255 Junior Leagues and a comprehensive website, Kids in the Kitchen has helped to provide hundreds of thousands of children and their families with lessons and materials to empower youth to lead healthy lives. These include recipes, tips, an online educational nutrition game provided by Cartoon Network and local hands-on activities, such as cooking classes, health fair demonstrations, and grocery store tours. To date, AJLI has provided links to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and We Can! websites. AJLI has posted We Can! parent tips on the Healthy Tips section of the Kids in the Kitchen website. AJLI also includes a variety of We Can! materials in their �Program in a Box� kits designed to provide Junior Leagues with resources to use in their local initiatives.

Are you interested in interviewing a We Can! spokesperson? Please contact the NHLBI Communications Office at (301) 496-4236 or email at nhlbi_news@nhlbi.nih.gov.

Related Resources

Media Newsroom Information about We Can!, news releases, public service announcements, matte articles, and spokespeople